Searching for the perfect digital SLR camera...

After searching for the "perfect" digital SLR camera, I am finally in possession of what I consider to be very close to perfect, the Canon EOS 450D (also known as the Rebel Xsi).

Its a beauty isn't it???

I read a million (well, not quite) reviews and was leaning towards a Nikon as I have previously used Nikon manual cameras and I still have the glass, filters, etc. The Nikon D200, D400 and D700 and D60 all impressed me quite a lot. But I was convinced by these two reviews of the Canon 450D:

DP Review of Canon 450 D

DC Resource of Canon 450D


Along with the camera body, I also received the 18-55mm lens, which I have been trying out, to my satisfaction, and the 55-250mm lens, which is still in the box! I figured that one lens is enough to start with!

The big selling points for me were the very large LCD screen, the image-stabilizer technology, the small size and light weight, the 12.2 mega pixels (just in case I like my photographs enough to enlarge them for display in my house), and of course the reputation for excellent image quality. The only thing that is completely unavoidable with digital SLR's is the complexity of the camera itself and the software that it comes with. I spent my first day with the camera sat on my living room floor for roughly 5 hours while I identified and inspected the pieces it came with and read the first 20 or so introductory pages of the manual. So far, I can take photographs with the automatic default settings on, yay! It makes me pine for my old manual Nikon (or even my ancient Olympus OM-10 which was so faithful to me). Film cameras seemed so much more straightforward...

To assist in my learning of digital photography, I have purchased this highly recommended manual, received in the post today!



At first glance, this book seems very straight-forward which is such a relief!


Watch this space for evidence of just how great this camera turns out to be! (or Watch this space to see my best efforts to figure out an incredibly complex but beautiful SLR camera!)

On the Top of the World, or Saas Fee, Swizerland

Driving through a blizzard is like stealing- you just shouldn't do it. However, all decision-making skills thrown aside, we hopped into our tiny little rental car with no 4-wheel drive function and made our way to the sleepy village of Saas Almagell, just a few miles from popular ski destination resort, Saas Fee.



We pulled into the Hotel Christiana, a very cute bed and breakfast owned by a very nice Swiss couple who have owned the hotel for about 20 years (or more). We settled into our cozy room and enjoyed an excellent Swiss meal for dinner, making sure we energised for the slopes!



Day 2- Skiing! We drove to Saas Fee and were determined to brave the mountain. The views were gorgeous!





... unfortunately a knee injury (not mine!) shortened our skiing session a bit but nevertheless we were able to fully enjoy the apres ski! The cheap wine comes highly recommended!!!

2009 New Years Resolutions

So, I know that its almost February but technically its still January so I thought I might still be allowed to set out my New Years resolutions to kick-start this whole process of being reflective. I've tried to be as reasonable as possible and set attainable goals and limited myself to 10, although I have decided to be more general in nature as I find that too specific goals will by the law of nature, never get met. If you're looking carefully you might see that some of my resolutions contradict each other (mainly 1 with everything else!) but that's sort of the way life is- we are all contradictory on some level- some of us more than others, but that's whats makes us so interesting. Here goes!

1. Save money!

2. (Re)learn Spanish

3. More Yoga!

4. Buy a nice digital SLR

5. More Travel!

6. Take a journalism/photojournalism course

7. Drink more water!

8. Be more positive!

9. Be proactive!

10. Make connections!


Wish me luck...

My story...

The day we were told we might lose our jobs at the cushy law firm in London, a sense of panic spread like an epidemic through the corporate department which I've worked at for only 3 months now having recently moved firms. As corporate lawyers used to billing thousands of hours a year, we all thought our jobs were safe. I mean, we charge clients extortionate amounts on an hourly basis to deliver the goods and the work load just seemed to continue to increase indefinitely. We all felt strangely important... and safe. And now, because of this new word we had never experienced before: "recession," we all felt scared...

The trouble for me was, I was so far "in it", I couldn't see outside of "it". I was too used to working crazy hours to think about what I might do if I wasn't doing what I was doing. I had actually forgotten what I enjoy: my hobbies, my loves and my passions. And I had forgotten what brought me to England from the U.S. just over two years ago- an intense desire to have new experiences, travel to exotic places, meet new and different people, take beautiful photographs, and breathe life in an unusual way. To see it from a Different Angle.

For years I have wanted to pursue my passions of photography and writing. And for years, those passions felt to the wayside while I was stuck in a square office with terrible fluorescent lighting squinting at a computer screen for at least 12 hours a day.

The whole process of realising that I might lose my job has forced me to think about what is really important to me and has allowed me to consider what I truly enjoy in life, which I am really excited about. I am energised about feeling inspired again. This page is an experiment and who knows what it may turn into, only time will tell. I hope to learn and to discuss a variety of topics and to share experiences from my life and travels as well as photographs. At the very least it will document my journey away from the law and through the lens and heart to a new view of the world.